Stone slicer

ABSTRACT

A stone slicer of slicing rough stone into stone plates having a predetermined thickness, which can improve productivity by reducing consumption of the rough stone by minimizing the thickness of a cut portion cut by a saw blade, and can reduce the treatment cost of sludge generated when the stone is sliced and prevent pollution due to the generated sludge. The stone slicer includes a base ( 10 ) on which stone is placed, four columns ( 22, 24, 26, 28 ) vertically installed at four edges of the base ( 10 ), a pair of a pair of platforms ( 30, 30 ′) installed left and right so as to be capable of simultaneously elevating along either side of the columns ( 22, 24, 26, 28 ), platform driving means ( 40, 40 ′) for elevating the platforms ( 30, 30 ′), one or more endless track type belt saws ( 70 ) each having opposite ends mounted in parallel with driving pulleys ( 50 ) and driven pulleys ( 60 ) provided at the platforms ( 30, 30 ′), and belt saw driving means ( 80 ) for driving the belt saws ( 70 ) to slice the stone placed on the base ( 10 ) to a predetermined thickness while rotating along an endless track by rotating the driving pulleys ( 50 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a stone slicer, and more particularly,to a stone slicer in which a plurality of belt saws circulating along anendless track are installed between opposite platforms in parallel withone another, and stone placed on a base is sliced to a predeterminedthickness while the belt saws circulate as the platforms fall down.Consumption of stone and generation of sludge can be reduced compared toa conventional circular shank type slicer.

BACKGROUND ART

In a conventional stone slicer, a circular shank for slicing stonethinly or to a predetermined thickness has been employed. Theconventional circular shank has a thickness of 5 to 6 mm, and 8 to 8.5mm thick diamond tips must be overcoated thereon to allow slicing. Theamount of stone consumed is approximately 30% of rough stone. Thus, theslicing cost becomes high and a considerable cost is also required intreating stone sludge produced during slicing. Hence, the stone slicingwork is burdensome and has low efficiency.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

To solve the problems of the conventional circular shank type stoneslicer, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stoneslicer of slicing rough stone into stone plates having a predeterminedthickness, which can improve productivity by reducing consumption of therough stone by minimizing the thickness of a cut portion cut by a sawblade, and can reduce the treatment cost of sludge generated when thestone is sliced and prevent pollution due to the generated sludge.

To achieve the object of the present invention, there is provided astone slicer comprising a base on which rough stone is placed, fourcolumns vertically installed at four edges of the base, a pair ofplatforms elevatably installed at the columns left and right, platformdriving means for driving the platforms to elevate, one or more endlesstrack type belt saws each having opposite ends mounted in parallel withdriving pulleys and driven pulleys provided at either side of theplatforms, and belt saw driving means for driving the rough stone placedon the base to be sliced to a predetermined thickness while the beltsaws rotate endlessly by rotating the driving pulleys.

The belt saws are formed of a thin metal plate and have strong slicingtips installed on the bottom of the belt saws at a constant interval.The stone is sliced during rotation of the belt saws mounted between thedriving pulleys and the driven pulleys.

The driving pulleys provided at the platforms are driven by a powertransmission mechanism in which the same driving power is transmittedfrom one driving means to the driving pulleys.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stone slicer according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the stone slicer according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the stone slicer according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the stone slicer according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion “A” shown in FIG. 1,showing a belt saw driving means according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a belt saw of the stone sliceraccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an operation state diagram of the stone slicer according tothe present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the present invention,reference will be now be made to the embodiments illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stone slicer according to the presentinvention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the stone slicer according to thepresent invention, FIG. 3 is a front view of the stone slicer accordingto the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the stone sliceraccording to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the stone slicer according to the presentinvention includes a base 10 on which stone (not shown) is placed, fourcolumns 22, 24, 26, 28 vertically installed at four edges of the base 10and having upper ends rotatably fixed on edges of an upper plate 10′, apair of platforms 30, 30′ installed left and right so as to be capableof simultaneously elevating along either side of the columns (22, 24),(26, 28), platform driving means 40, 40′ for elevating the platforms 30,30′, one or more endless track type belt saws 70 each having oppositeends mounted in parallel with driving pulleys 50 and driven pulleys 60provided at the platforms 30, 30′, and belt saw driving means 80 fordriving the belt saws 70 to slice the stone placed on the base 10 to apredetermined thickness while rotating along an endless track byrotating the driving pulleys 50.

The base 10 is fabricated using a strong, durable material so as towithstand the weight of large-sized stone to be placed thereon andsliced. Also, the base 10 must be installed on solid, horizontal groundfor vertically cutting the stone. Front and rear sides of the base 10are opened so as to allow the rough stone to be transported easily to beseated on the base 10 and to allow a stone plate sliced by the belt saws70 to be transported easily.

Also, the base 10 may be fabricated in a left-right-separation type, sothat separate base parts can be installed at opposite sides of solid andhorizontal ground, respectively.

The columns 22, 24, 26, 28 are vertically installed in parallel witheach other so that they can fully withstand the weight of the upperplate 10′ and the platforms 30, 30′ while guiding elevating operationsof the platforms 30 and 30′. The platforms 30 and 30′ are of a screwtype, and the columns 22, 24, 26, 28 penetrate the platforms 30, 30′.Female-screw type guide bearings 32, 32′ for guiding vertical elevationof the platforms 30, 30′ are installed. The platforms 30, 30′ areoperable to elevate while the columns 22, 24, 26, 28 are rotated by thedriving means 40, 40′.

The platforms 30, 30′ are substantially box-shaped, and have drivingmeans 80 for driving the belt saws 70 installed therein. As shown inFIG. 5, the driving means 80 installed in the platform 30 includes adriving motor 81 operable by electricity, oil pressure or air pressure,a helical gear 83 connected to the driving motor 81 and a powertransmission means 82 such as a belt or a chain to be driven andhorizontally elongated in the front and rear directions of the platform30, vertical gears 84 spaced apart a predetermined interval in the leftand right of the helical gear 83 to be geared, and driving pulleys 50axially-connected to the vertical gears 84. Each of the belt saws 70 isconnected between the driving pulley 50 and the driven pulley 60installed at the platform 30′ to face the driving pulley 50, and thebelt saws 70 each rotates along an endless track. The driving pulleys 50and the driven pulleys 60 have a large diameter for securing stablerotation of the belt saws 70, thereby maintaining the belt saws 70 at aconstant interval. Also, in order to impart tension to the belt saws 70,each pair of auxiliary pulleys 85, 86 are installed in the drivingpulleys 50 and the driven pulleys 60, thereby adjusting the intervalbetween the belt saws 70.

The driving means 40, 40′ for elevating the platforms 30, 30′ includedriving motors 42, 42′ installed at either side of the upper plate 10′,sprockets 22′, 24′, 26′, 28′ installed at the upper end of the columns22, 24, 26, 28, and chains 44, 44′ installed between the columns 22, 24and the driving motor 42 and between the columns 26, 28 and the drivingmotor 42′. As the driving motors 42, 42′ of either side are synchronizedand rotate forward and backward at a constant speed, the columns 22, 24,26, 28 rotate and then the platforms 30, 30′ threaded with the columns22, 24, 26, 28 elevate accordingly.

The belt saws 70 are fabricated using a thin metal plate, e.g., carbonsteel, as shown in FIG. 6. Strong slicing tips 74 are welded on thebottom of the metal plate 72 at a constant interval to slice stone.

The stone slicer according to the present invention is configured todetermine a slicing thickness of stone by designing an interval betweenthe belt saws 70 into a desired dimension. Also, the interval betweenthe platforms 30 and 30′ and the height of each column can be determinedin various manners so as to be suitable to the size of stone to besliced.

Thus, the stone slicer according to the present invention can replacethe conventional circular shank type stone slicer in stone cutting andprocessing fields.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the stone slicer according to the presentinvention, in a state in which the platforms 30 and 30′ are raised,stone S is placed on a base 10 and then the platforms 30 and 3′ arelowered at the same speed to rotate the belt saws 70 in an endless trackmanner. Then, the belt saws 70 contact the top surface of the stone 3,which is then sliced by means of the slicing tips 74, producing slots.As the platforms 30 and 30′ gradually fall down, the belt saws 70 arelowered to slice the stone S. Thus, the stone S is vertically sliced atonce in conformity with the interval between the belt saws 70. In thepresent invention, since the belt saws 70 are only 3 mm in thickness,the amount of stone sliced away and consumed is greatly reduced,increasing, productivity by approximately 50% compared to theconventional circular shank type stone slicer.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, as platforms are lowered, aplurality of belt saws installed in parallel with each other rotatealong an endless track, and slice stone placed on a base at a constantinterval:

Since several stone plates are simultaneously obtained from rough stone,the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Also, since thin belt saws areused in slicing stone, the thickness of stone sliced and disposed awaycan be minimized and sludge generated by slicing can be reduced. Thus,the treatment cost of the sludge can be reduced and secondaryenvironmental pollution can also be prevented.

1. A stone slicer, comprising: a base on which a stone is placed; fourcolumns vertically installed at four respective edges of the base; apair of platforms respectively installed on a left side and a right sideof said base, and being adapted to simultaneously move up and down thecolumns, each platform having at least one of a driving pulley and adriven pulley; platform driving means for moving the platforms up anddown; at least one endless belt saw having opposite ends, one of theends being engaged with a driving pulley of one of the platforms, andanother one of the ends being engaged with a driven pulley of anotherone of the platforms; and belt saw driving means for driving the beltsaw to slice the stone placed on the base to a predetermined thickness,by rotating the driving pulley to thereby cause the belt saw to rotatealong an endless track, the belt saw driving means comprising a drivingmotor; a helical gear connected to the driving motor, and horizontallyextending in a direction from a rear of the one of the platforms to afront of the one of the platforms; a power transmission means includinga driven belt or a chain coupled to said driving motor and said helicalgear; and a vertical gear geared to the helical gear, the driving pulleybeing axially-aligned and connected to the vertical gear.
 2. The stoneslicer of claim 1, further comprising pairs of auxiliary pulleysrespectively installed in a region of the driving pulley and the drivenpulley, thereby imparting tension to the belt saw.
 3. A stone slicer,comprising: a base on which a stone is placed; an upper plate disposedover said base; four columns vertically installed at four respectiveedaes of the base; a pair of platforms respectively installed on a leftside and a right side of said base, and being adapted to simultaneouslymove up and down the columns, each platform having at least one of adriving pulley and a driven pulley, said platforms being threadedlyengaged with the columns; platform driving means for moving theplatforms up and down; at least one endless belt saw having oppositeends, one of the ends being engaged with a driving pulley of one of theplatforms, and another one of the ends being engaged with a drivenpulley of another one of the platforms; and belt saw driving means fordriving the belt saw to slice the stone placed on the base to apredetermined thickness, by rotating the driving pulley to thereby causethe belt saw to rotate along an endless track; wherein the platformdriving means include synchronized driving motors respectively installedat a left side and a right side of the upper plate, and which rotateforward and backward at a constant speed, sprockets respectivelyinstalled at upper ends of the columns, and chains respectivelyinstalled between two of the columns and one of the driving motors, andbetween another two of the columns and another one of the drivingmotors, whereby the driving motors cause the columns to rotate so thatthe platforms, which are threaded with the columns, are moved up or downas the driving motors rotate.